Temporary sprinkler closure



Aug. 21, 1923. 1.465.831

A. C. ROWLEY TEMPORARY S PRI NKLER CLOSURE Filed July 19. 1921 Patented Aug. 21, 1923.

. r l'l" s AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER COMPANY, OF PHILADELPI-IIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- PORATION or PENNSYLVANIA."

. TEMPORARY- SPRINKLER CLOSURE.

V Applicationfiled July 19,

To all whom it may 00mm.-

. Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. RowLnY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented Temporary Sprinkler Closures, of which the following is a specification This invention relates to improvements in sprinkler heads for use in automatic fire extinguishing systems. and more particularly has to do with closures for such heads, one object of the inventionbeing t0 provlde a novel form of closure for emergency or temporary use, which shall itself embody an element in the form of a temperature-responsive link, permitting orcausing automatic opening of the closure when the temperature in the vicinity of the sprinkler head rises to a redetermined point.

t is further desired to provide a relatively simple, conveniently usable, temperature-responsive closure for a sprinkler head, which may be quickly applied thereto after this has opened and while the liquid is'flowing from it; the construction including a number of coacting parts capable of automatically separating to again permit opening of the closure in case of a subsequent dangerous rise of temperature in its vicinlty.

These objects and other advantageous ends I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which, V

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section, illustratinga sprinkler head equipped with my invention; 5 p .i

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the lever elements of my temporary closure;

Fig. 4 is a perspective'view of the second of the lever elements of the closure;

. Fig. 5 is a perspective'vi'ew of a' well known form of temperature-responsive link for connecting the lever elements shown in Figs. 3 and 4; and r Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the locking p Inthe above drawings, 1 representsthe tubular base of a well known form of automatic sprinkler head, such as is commonly used in automatic fire extinguishing systems, and this has formed integral with it a threaded nipple 2 for application to the water supply'pipe of the system. Above 1921. Serial -1\T0. 485,839.

I the base is a seat structure designed primarily to cooperate with a valve (not shown) which normally closes the outlet of the sprinkler. Integral with thebas'e 1 is a pair of outwardly curved arms 4 joined at their upper ends and 'havingmounted in them a screw or stud 5 axially inlinewith the longitudinalcenter line of the nipple2,

base 1 and valve seat 3. A waterspreader 6 is customarily mounted on the screw 5 above the yoke.

As is understood by those skilled in the art, automatic sprinkler'heads of .the'type illustrated normally include a pair of coacting levers mounted between the valve on the seat 3 and the inner end of the'screwr5 and held in positions in which-the valve is maintained closed, by a fusible link which connects the ends of two of their arms. When, owing to a predetermined temperature risein' the vicinity ofthe sprinkler head, this fusible link melts or'releases the two lever arms to which it is attached, the latter separate and, owing mainly to the pressure of fluid in the sprinkler system, the valve on the seat 3 is forcibly removed therefrom, permitting usually an escapeof air under pressure and shortly thereafter, water or other fire extinguishing fluid. p

For the purpose of stoppingthis' flow of fluid after it has performed its fire extinguishing function, or for closing the sprin kler head to permit the system again being putin'service, I provide the temporaryclosure shown, which consistsof a valve 7 preferably of rubber or other relatively resilient andcompres'sible material mounted on one end of a lever plate 8, whichhas an @1011 gated extension constituting a handle .9. This lever plate includes ahooked portion 10, a fulcrum, portion 11 andan abutment in the form of a transverse pin 12, which projects from both of the faces of said plate.

The latter is designed to lie in a plane 'sub- 10 of the lever plate S extends a temperatum-responsive link 17. It .also includes a bearing edge 18 designed to cooperate with the fulcrum portion 11 of the lever plate 8 and has arms 19 extended on opposite sides of said bearingedge. These arms with the hooks serve to maintain the lever plate 13 in the same plane as the lever plate 8.

In order to assemble the parts of my term porary closure, the plate lever 13 is mounted I on the lever 8, as shown, and the'fusible link 1? is engaged withthe twohooks 10 and 16.

and when it is desired to stop l fluid flow from or temporarily close a sprinkler head such as that shown, the device is grasped by the-handle 9 andits valve 7 is placed inthe discharge opening of such head so that it engages the seat .3. l/Vith this latter as a fulcrum, the handle 9 is now moved upwardly so that the curved guideway 14 is brought into engagement with the inner end of'the screw 5, and this upward movement of the handle is continued until the upturned end 20 of the gu-ideway comes against the top of the yoke 4, thus preventing further movement.

The parts are so proportioned and have such 'dimensionsthat when they .are given the above ,positions illustrated in Fig. 1, the rubber valve 7 is compressed to a greater or less extent andsealsthe outlet opening of the. sprinkler head. Moreover the guideway- 14 is so curvedthat while its lower portion is considerably inclined to the horizontal, its upper part, particularly adjacent its upturned end 20, is inclined at a relatively slight angle to the horizontal or to a lineat right. angles to the longitudinal center line o fj'the sprinkler head, so that after the parts have been brought to the positions illustrated, the friction between the end of the screw 5 and the guideway keeps them in place. At the same time the two plates 8 and 13 with thelink 17 are placed under stress so that if there is a subsequent rise of temperature above the point at which said fusible link 17 is designed to release, the two hookedv portion 10 and 16 of said plates will separate, permitting the toggle formed bythe two lever plates 8 and 13-to break by reason of the pressure on the valve 7-so that the fire extinguishing fluid of the sprinkler system may again be delivered from the sprinkler head. I

It is to be noted that in order to attain the above results, the pin 12 or the point of env gagement of said pin with the hooks 15,

kler head which has opened for any reason,

so that the fire extinguishing system of which it forms a part may be at once put under pressure and made ready for imme diate service. At the same time, since my closure is itself temperature-responsive, the sprinkler is again ready for-serviceinithe event of an abnormal temperature rise, so that-said closure may be continued in use indefinitely or it may be used until a new sprinkler head canibe put in place o'f'the one which had previously opened.

I claim: I

1. The combination in a sprinkler closure of two cooperating toggle elements of which one .is fulcrumed onthe other; a temperatureresponsive link connecting said elements; and arigid connection between the elements independent of their fulcrum normally maintaining the link under tension.

2. The combination of "two members; 'a valve carried by one of said members; "a guide and a hooked structure carried by'the other member, said members, being fulcrumed one on the other; a pin on the second member engaging the hooked portion of the first member; with a temperature-responsive link normally connectingsaid members.

The combination of a handle lever'; a

valve mounted thereon; a second lever fullOO crumed on the first lever, one of said levers having a pair of hooks respectively on opposite sides and' the other having a pinengaged 7 by said hooks, with a temperature-responsive link normally connecting said levers and thereby maintaining them under stress.

1. The combination in a sprinkler closure of a pair of levers adapted for operation b'etween. the valve. and the yoke of a sprinkler head and'fulcrumed one on the other; a. ternperature responsive link normally maintaining said'levers under stress; with arigid member independent of the sprinkler'lhead and of the fulcrum for holding said levers and link together as a unitary structure. 7

'5 A sprinkler closure consisting of two levers fulcru'med together at a. plurality .of

points and having'portions formed to respectively engage the valve and the yoke of a sprinkler head; and a temperature respon sive link normally holding the leverstogether.

6. lhe combination in a temporarysprinkler closure of a lever; a valve thereon; a second lever 'fulcrumedon the first lever and having a hook; a pin in the first lever-detachably engaged by the hook of the second lever; and a fusible link separably connect ing the first and second levers in position" to maintain the hook and pin under stress.

7. The combination in a temporary sprinby said hooks; a relatively fusible link sepkler closure of tWo lever plates having subarably connecting the lever plates and mainstantially flat portions lying in the same taining said hooks. and pin under stress;with 1 plane and fulcrumed one upon the other; a valve carried by one lever plate, the other 5 hooks projecting from one lever plate on oplever plate being formed to cooperate With posite sides of the other; a pin passing the yoke of a sprinkler head. 7 through the latter lever plate and engaged ARTHUR ROWLEY. 

